Defiance Local News

CHANGES COMING IN NAPOLEON WATER DISTRIBUTION

A lot of things are going to change in Napoleon’s water distribution system over the next five years. A new water treatment plant will be constructed in Napoleon, and go on-line in that period of time. And in the very near future, it’s likely that Napoleon, LibertyCenter, and the Henry County Regional Water and Sewer District will join in a cooperative agreement for distribution of the water from that new plant.

The Napoleon ‘water-sewer-refuse, recycling and litter’ committee met Monday night to discuss those issues; along with reviewing a study of water rates from Courtney and Associates. That study indicated the Napoleon water system is financially in decent shape, reports city manager Jon Bisher. But the Napoleon Board of Public Affairs, and council water committee concur, the city will need to impose a 3% increase in water rates over each of the next three years, to keep-up with costs. That’s just for operational costs of water treatment and distribution. That change in rates would likely go before the full Napoleon Council in the next weeks.

When it comes to the topic of paying for the new 24-million dollar water treatment plan, Napoleon Council is looking to utilize grants for a portion of the cost. They are looking at funding the remaining cost through assessments on the users of the system. That kind of legislation would have to be approved by Henry County Commissioners and Napoleon city council. The plan for this new water system, is to have Napoleon run the plant; but the ownership would go to the Henry County Regional Water and Sewer District.